FRANK MALONEY has demanded rival promoter Mick Hennessy makes it clear once and for all if he is serious about trying to match Tyson Fury with David Price.

A war of words erupted again this week after heavyweights Price and Fury extended their respective unbeaten records.

Price hammered Matt Skelton into submission in less than two rounds at Aintree last Friday whilst Fury dominated American Kevin Johnson over 12 low-key rounds, 24 hours later.

After Price’s win, Maloney offered Fury a purse of £650,000 to fight the Liverpool man next but Hennessy, who looks after Fury, rejected the offer, labelling it as a “joke”.

Fury’s team believe their man is edging closer to a shot at WBC world champion Vitali Klitschko and it is thought the Morecambe man will next fight at Madison Square Garden in New York in March. Maloney says that if Fury’s team have no intention of pursuing a fight with Price anytime soon, then they must let it be known.

”We are trying to start negotiations but they don’t want the fight,” claims Maloney.

“If they don’t want the fight then they need to stop making excuses.

“If that is not the route they are looking to go then just say so.”

But Maloney remains confident he could still deliver the fight and cites his part in bringing together Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield in March 1999 as an example of his negotiating skills.

“If I can make Lewis against Holyfield then I can make any fight,” said Maloney.

“But I don’t know if this fight will happen.

“Maybe it will have to be for a world title but, of course, Fury has got to keep on winning.”

After Hennessy told a national newspaper: “If David Price doesn’t step up to the plate, on our terms, the fight won’t happen”, Maloney decided to issue a statement yesterday.

In part, it read: “An offer was made to Tyson Fury guaranteeing him a £650,000 purse to challenge David Price.

“Tyson’s promoter Mick Hennessy turned down the offer, describing it as a “joke” and added that David would have to “step up to the plate on our terms”.

“Since then I have sent Mick an email asking if there is a way for myself and him to sit down to try and make the fight.”